Shelloquent

For today's Working Wednesday, I'm going to be promoting another Kensington book that I'm just incredibly proud to have worked on. Alyssa Cole's  AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION  was released yesterday. It's the first in the Loyal League series, and is a historical novel set during the Civil War. It's genre-bending and flat out amazing. AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION Blurb:  As the Civil War rages between the states, a courageous pair of spies plunge fearlessly into a maelstrom of ignorance, deceit, and danger, combining their unique skills to alter the course of history and break the chains of the past . . . Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South—to spy for the Union Army. Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton's Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he’s facing his deadliest mission yet—risking his l...

For today's Working Wednesday, I'm going to be promoting the heck out of a book I'm super proud of, and I'm just as proud of the author. Lynn Cahoon's A STORY TO KILL was released yesterday. It's the first in a brand-new print cozy mystery series, which is a first for her. Lynn is well known for her digital Tourist Trap mysteries with Lyrical Press, but she's going to be publishing but in print and digitally with these two separate series. I did a featured staff recommended read which will be live on Kensington's website tomorrow but you get a sneak peek here! I may be a bit biased where it comes to Lynn Cahoon, but it’s for good reason. She always writes a clever, fun mystery with a good hook. But she’s outdone herself with the first book in her brand-new print series, A Story to Kill. Cahoon cleverly blends the right about of mystery, intrigue, and whodunit with a rekindling romance with a hot handyman. What more could you want? A Story to K...

This was further down in my to-post list, but as it comes out today I really wanted to post this review now. It's the first in a new series by Lisa A. Olech, a new author to Kensington's digital-first imprint, Lyrical Press. And yes, it's a historical romance...at sea...with pirates! WITHIN A CAPTAIN'S HOLD by Lisa Olech Blurb : Captain Jaxon Steele is a tall, sun-bronzed, fierce-fighting Pirate King. He and the notorious crew of the Scarlet Night are both feared and respected for their ruthless reputation. The Captain’s only love is the open sea and the ship he calls home. When it comes to women, he has three rules: never sleep with another’s wife, don’t take virgins into bed, and most importantly, never bring a woman aboard—that brings the worst luck of all. Annalise Gatherone has to leave London—tonight! Usually her only concern is the color of her latest gown, but now she’s choosing between life and death. Desperate to escape the clutches of an evil...

One thing I promise not to do is let this blog get too biased toward Kensington titles. I do have access to a lot of them, so you will be seeing plenty, but I'll be sure to review as many non-Kensington titles as possible too. However I couldn't not post a review for Jennifer Estep's Dark Heart of Magic . DARK HEART OF MAGIC by Jennifer Estep Blurb : Something Wicked This Way Comes... As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there's no escaping the spotlight—or the danger. Even though he's my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what's supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious "accidents," it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt. As if I didn't have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the ...